Why exactly do people in the Dominican Republic water the dirt road? Apparently this is a popular pastime. As you walk down the street, you can observe the street waterers who sit in lawn chairs and talk to each other.
Yesterday we went hiking. Yes, I know what you are thinking… “Bianca and SaraBeth went on a nature hike and walked a trail. Cute.” No…you are wrong. The trail lasted about 5 minutes of the 2 hour hike. The first sign that you know your hike is not normal is when the guide shimmies up a mango tree to get you some fruit. This was no small tree. From the ground we were unsure of where the top was exactly. Suddenly it was raining mangos. Had someone been hit it would have been bad news bears. They were falling hard as Papone (our guide) shook the tree. We continued up the hill to find Katy mounting the burro. This is a burro we randomly stumbled upon in someone’s front yard. Others during this time turned blossoms from a tree into warpaint. (You looked good Taylor….the rest of the day and maybe even a little this morning). I’m sure you have all experienced this in your weekly hikes. Our adventure course changed quickly. We found ourselves wandering through the wilderness…no path…following 7 year old Dominican boys running barefoot. They led us to their personal swimming hole…which happens to be located inside a cave (and you thought you had a sweet set up in your backyard). As you continue straight up the mountain we reached another cave. Locals kept telling us Muy Peligroso! (very dangerous), but if Katy was doing it in flip flops and little kids were going barefoot, we were going. Actually, it took a brief pep talk in combination with the previous two things for SaraBeth to go. Now imagine an exhilarating rock climbing experience at your local rock wall. This was nothing like that. Instead of a harness, the children were helping us up onto the rock in front of us. Keep in mind that there were numerous places the drop offs were 30-50 feet.
We enjoyed our first ladies night on the beach last night and became experts in the regatone dancing. Taylor had a life changing experience as she got a nose bleed for the first time ever, and Bianca bought her first pineapple from the pina lady.
What do you do in the DR when you are bored? Well, that is just a great question. We really aren’t ever bored, but we do enjoy people watching in the down time at lunch. The sighting of the day was a father and son enjoying a donkey ride while holding a machete. Things like this remind you quickly that you are not in the US. Also at lunch, Gillian and I ended up in the store room of a local store trying to find Oreos. Apparently we bought a bulk pack because the cashier had no idea how much to charge us!
Okay – estamos muy cansadas!
Living the Dream Project
SB and B
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